The California Horse Racing Board threw a monkey wrench into a horsemen group's attempt to decertify the Thoroughbred Owners of California, saying it will not validate petition signatures of owners who are also trainers.

The California Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association announced Aug. 20 that it has submitted more than 1,100 signatures to the state horse racing board seeking an election to decertify the current horsemen's representative.

Divisiveness among horsemen's groups in California "seems to me a terrible waste of industry resources," said Jack Owens, chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, during an interview April 2.

The Thoroughbred Owners of California isn't talking, but a spokesman for a recently formed rival horseman's group wants to make sure the state's owner representative knows the new organization means business.